Machine for filling molds with liquid chocolate



Nov. 20, 1951 l 5, E vlNGERLlNG 2,576,054

MACHINE FOR FILLING MOLDS WITH LIQUID CHOCOLATE Filed Deo. 22, 1948 2`sHEETs*sHEET 1 lys/4 6,' INVENTOR.

MIL?

NOV- 20, 1951 s. E. vlNGI-:RLING 2,576,054

MACHINE FOR FILLING MOLOs WITH LIQUID CHOCOLATE O Filed Dec. 22, 1948 2 SHEETS-.SHEET 2 Ff:- 5/ 2 MI Patented Nov. 20, 1951 MACHINE FOR FILLING MOLDS WITH LIQUID CHOCOLATE Samuel Everhardus Vingerling, Rotterdam, Netherlands,

assigner to Vingerlings Machinefabriek N. V., RotterdamNethe1-lands, a corporation of the Netherlands Application December 22, 1948, Serial N o. 66,732

Theinvention relates to a machine for the iilling of molds with liquid chocolate or similar iilling material, comprising acontainer from which the material, by means of a distributing device, is forced under pressure to a hollow mouth piece. Machines of this type are known.

In mold lling machines of this type work interruptions occur periodically due to the liquid chocolate at the outer side of the mouth piece being cooled more than in the center due to the surrounding atmosphere. For proper progress of the filling process it is necessary that the temperature of the liquid chocolate be kept as accurately and uniformly as possible at about 30 C., since deviations therefrom may give rise to formation of granules,.which should be avoided.

An object of the present invention is to remove this drawback.

A further object is to provide for a uniform iiow of liquid chocolate through the mouthpiece.

The existing mold iilling machines have the further drawback, that the replacement of the spout plate is time consuming, whereby the production of the machine is reduced. Replacement is often necessary in connection with a change to the production of chocolate articles of different shape.

This drawback is also overcome by the present invention.

Further objects and features will be apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a partial vertical sectional view of a mold iilling machine of the present type;

Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view on a larger scale. of a distributing cylinder with valve means according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line III-III in Fig. 1; and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a mouth piece with a stationary guide plate according to the invention.

As shown in Figure 1 the mold iilling machine is provided with a double walled container I for the filling mass, for example, liquid chocolate, which from the bottom of the container, at 2, iiows into a distributing cylinder 3 with a pressure plunger 4 mounted therein for reciprocation.

The rod 5 of plunger 4 is coupled to an operating mechanism of which a rod 6 is shown in operative connection with rod 5 and is driven by a source of power as represented by an arrow at 1. This mechanism is not described in detail since well known and since not essential to the invention proper.

From the distributing cylinder 3 the liquid chocolate flows along a valve means to be described hereinafter into a hollow outlet mouth piece 8, the details of which appear'in Figure 4.

3 Claims. (Cl. 107--28) The distributing cylinder 3, the outlet opening of which has an oblong shape, is also provided with a double wall which, as in the container I, serves for the circulation of a heating medium. At the bottom the distributing cylinder 3 is open and the mouth is closed by two valves 9, 9, each bearing against a valve seat I0 on a common valve seat carrying plate II, secured to the lower end of the distributing cylinder. Above each valve 9 a perforated plate or sieve 35 is mounted in the seat plate II.

Through a tubular portion I2 associated with the seat plate, one for each valve, a sleeve I3 extends, provided with an external collar I4 bearing on the portion I2. A hollow valve stem I5 snugly fitting in the sleeve I3 receives a set bolt I6 having a fixed head I1 with a lock plate I8; the screw threaded upper end of the set bolt is screwed into a nut I9, into which two pins 20, 20, are screwed, engaging holes in a connecting strip 2l, extending to the set bolt of the second valve and connected to the latter in a similar manner. Between each collar I4 of a sleeve and the corresponding nut I9 a helical pressure spring 22 is mounted, by means of which the valve 9 may be kept pressed on its seat IU.

The tension of the springs is chosen so that each valve may be opened against the spring tension under the pressure acting on the mass of chocolate. This pressure is produced at any time when the plunger performs its compressing stroke. As appears from Figure 1, the mouth piece 8 is located above a mold 23 to be lled, a plurality of which are arranged in a row upon a conveyor 24.

Below the mouth piece each mold may be moved upwards to the required small distance from the mouth piece by means of a lifting device 25.

The various motions are timed. After a mold has been positioned under the mouth piece, then,

after the opening of the valves, the chocolate mass will flow through between the circumference of said valves and the seats I0 and will be distributed, at least in part, from the outer side inwardly over the spout plate 26, whereupon it is forced through perforations in the spout plate into the recesses of the mold.

At the plate, where the passage between the valves and the seats is not heated by a heating medium in the jacket the hot chocolate mass prevents the wall of the mouth piece from being too greatly cooled.

In Figure 4 the mouth piece 8 is shown to a larger scale. This mouth piece is adapted to be mounted underneath the valves 9, 9 in Figures 2 and 3 against the seat plate II.

The spout plate 26 in Figure 4 is at the left provided with a rib 21 and at the right with a corresponding groove 28; the perforations in this Y 3 plate, whichpmaysbemade e. g.of aluminum, are adaptedgiaih aniram wie; creeme mold- These gures often differ and therefore the spout plate has to be replaced often. This has been simplified by said rib and groove and v,anuattach- I, ment device comprising jaws 29, onatritlier" side,V and an eccentric pressure exerting 'device 30 for theclamping of a framej 3Iwto thelower side `of the spout plate 26. Y

If a diierent spout plate 26, i. e. a .plate hav-- ing different perforations, is to be mounted Vli'n the mouth piece, then the jaws .29 `arereleased so that the strong clamping' atio'nuisr'nved but the spout plate 26 nevertheless is lfept finengagement with the mouth piece, whereupon a 'rioni the .new spoutl plate'to, begguse'd is.. irst inserted into. the. grooverofnthe spout .plate to be, removed and-the,latterbyymeans of the new plateis pushed aside; `the mouthjp'iece thus re= mains closed at', the lower side. lWhen the new spout ,piece ,has been .placedV in position, then ,the jawsare i'lrrnl5r .fixed in `the clamping position.

Inthe lowerportionofFigure 3' means have been.. shown preventing the3`s`pout ,platel from falling `'dovvr'1.af.ter the hook-,shaped jaws ,29 have been moved into the inoperative rioneclarnping position. To this end hooks 32 are secured' to the frame 3l, said hooks when the jawsoccupy the clamping position, being locatedat a small distance above the adjacent' horizontal portions 33,.of themouth'piece 8. .Nowg if theispout plate isto be replacedl by 'anotherl one (by a 'shifting movement' then -rst thejaws 2'9 are loosened, whereupon the spout plate drops until the hooks 32 .bear upon the portions v.33, of the mouth. piece. Y, Apump. or4 thelike can be provided by means of. which the heatingjmedium canbe circulated through. the jacket.ofthecontainer l 'and of the distributingdevicebut is'no't. illustrated since not essential: to acomplete. understanding .of the' in, l

vention and any suitablev known type can be used.

,I1 claim: Y .1. A machine. for lling l molds with liquid checolateland thelikepomprising a container forthe. material,` said container having a, discharge ,opening thereiin a distributing device connectedlwithi 'said' discharge opening, a hollow mouth? pice; in. open` communication with said distributingsdevie, ahr placeable `spout plate glo"sing,thet open fend offv aid mo'iitlfpiece, guide means for said`distributing device, said guide j rneans comprising a common valve seat plate 5 secured towtlriedischarge end of said distributing device arid-interposed therebetween and said Ahollowmouth piece, a plurality of valves spaced 1. from one another and adapted for seating on vsaidcommonseat'plata separate spring meansV l0A b'iasfingeach `sai'dvalve to closed position, each *said :valve biigadapted to be lifted from a seated position onfsaid seat plate against the biasing spring action by spout pressure, said spoutY plate being arranged beneath all said valves. '2; A machine 'asclaimedinclam 1 and wherein yeach""said valve comprising laV hollow: stem, a setbolt' `inserted through'sai'dv hollow Y stem; ,a sleeve. bearing' surrounding reach' said hollow stern, aftubular'ineinber'for-each said valvein said common valveseat plate; said sleeve bearings being inserted 'in' and carried'by said tubular members; saidl spring means comprising a helical spring,` said' tubular member having an external ,2? collar thereon, la' nut on an vend of said set bolt projecting 'from said hollow'stem, said helical spring being inserted between`I said external collar andsaid nut." r

3. A'machine as'claimed in claim 2 and where- 39 in S'ai'd spout plate is regular in vshape andl isfprovided at two opposite edgesv thereof with a groove and `a corresponding ribv respectively; guide means slidably supporting said spout plate, and

means for detachably connecting* said plate'to` 3f? said mouthpiece'.

' '-"SM/IUED'EVERHARDUS VINGERLING.

nnre'nancasorrnn 'lfherfoll'oiving v'references are'i record in the fue @this-patenti: i f Y 'ITED STATES PATENTS Number rName f d Date 1,651,242 Baker N0v.r29,1927 Y -Mw` 22-J 1932 1'. Sept. ,6, 1932 

